Singeing-machine.



T. ALLSOP, w. W. SIBSON & W. P. HAGAR, J11. SINGEING MACHINE.

-AYPLIOATION FILED NOV. 18, 1909.

Patented Sept 27, 1-910.

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T ALLSOP, W. W. SIBSON & W. F. HAGAR, In. smenme MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1909. 971,427, Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

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T. ALLSOP, W. W. SIBSON & W. F. HAGAR, JR. SINGEING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1909. 971,427,, Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1909.

971,427., Patented Sept, 27,1910.

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lUNllThlD TATE PATENT @FFIQE.

THOMAS ALLSOP, WALTER SIBSON, AND WALTER F. HAGAR, J12, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE PHILADELPHIA DRYING MACHINERY COM- PANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CGRPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SINGEING-HIACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS ALLsor, l fanrnn lV. SmsoN, and VVALTER F. HAGAR, Jr, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelp iia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Singeingdtttachines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in singeing machines, and more particularly to machines for singeing hosiery.

lvilachines previously have been devised wherein the use of supporting boards for the stockings have been dispensed with, these machines including as component parts of their structure supporting forms which travel in a fixed path and upon which forms the stockings are placed and carried through the stages of treatment. This general type of singeing machine has now attained a distinct status in the art, and it is with regard to such type that the present invention concerned.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a singcing machine which will simplify the construction of these machines and which embodies such an arrangement of parts that in placing the unsinged stockings upon the supporting forms the position of the latter in relation to the operator will be substantially the same as the position in which the board forms are usually held when placing the stockings thereon, thereby enabling the operator to stretch the stockings upon the forms with much the same movement when placing the stockings upon the boards commonly employed heretofore. This permits the operator to manipulate the machine with greater speed in feeding the stockings to the machine, and correspondingly increases the output of the machine.

The invention further aims to provide a singeing machine which includes a novel form of stripping mechanism, whereby to remove the singed stockings from the supporting forms, the stripper acting upon the stockings with a positive movement while the stripper is traveling at a greater surface speed than the supporting forms.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 18, 1909.

Patented Sept. 27, 191%.

Serial No. 528,789.

The invention further aims to provide, in the construction of the machine, simple and efficient means for cooling the forms, so that when singeing stockings in the green state the same will not be damaged by eX- cessive temperature of the forms.

l Vith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consists substantially in the novel construetion, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fnlly described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

While the form of the invention illustrated and described herein is regarded, at the present time, as a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the same is susceptible of change, modification and variation, and the right is accordingly reserved to change, modify or vary the invention as falls within the spirit and scope thereof.

In the drawings-Figure l is a side elevation of a singeing machine constructed in.

accordance with and embodying the hereindescribed invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating the connections for cooling the supporting forms when it is desired to adapt the machine for singeing stockings in the green state. Fig. 5 is a similar View in end elevation. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of one of the forms illustrating the connec tion of the feed and drip pipes therewith. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the form illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the frame of the herein-described machine, which frame may be of any suitable structure whereby a proper support is provided for the operative parts of the machine, and journaled in suitable bearings 2, a Tanged at the sides of the frame 1, is a main shaft 3 which extends transversely of the frame 1. Mounted upon the shaft 2 is a gear wheel t which meshes with a pinion 5 mounted upon a driving shaft- 6 that is journaled within suitable bearings 7. One of these bearings is carried by the frame 1, while the other is arranged upon a longitudinallyextending beam 8 that is suitably supported within the frame 1. The shaft 6 is provided with tight and loose pulleys 9 and 10, respectively, for the application of power to said shaft.

Upon the main shaft 3, and adjacent to one of the ends thereof, is a spider 11, and bolted, or otherwise suitably secured, to said spider 11 is a plurality of radially-projecting arms 12 each of which carries a stocking support 13. Each of these stocking supports 13 is curved in the arc of a circle the center of which is the main shaft 3, and, consequently, as the shaft 3 rotates the supports 13 operate in a circular path. Each of the supports 13 is connected to its arm 12 through the medium of a substantially L-shaped bracket 14, whereby the forms are rigidly connected to said arms, but lie in a plane to one side of the plane in which the arms 12 are located.

Arranged upon the sides of the frame 1, and projecting upwardly therefrom, is a superstructure 15, and connected to one side of said superstructure, and projecting inwardly across the space of the latter, is a pair of burner tubes 16. These tubes are of the usual formation, their opposing faces being perforated, as in the usual manner, in order that the singeing flames may occupy the space between said tubes. The tubes 16 are supplied with a suitable gaseous mixture from any suitable source, it being unnecessary to illustrate the latter. It will be observed that the inner ends of the tubes 16 terminate at a point slightly removed from the side of the superstructure 15 which is opposite to that upon which said tubes are mounted, the purpose of this being to permit the stocking supports 13 to be passed between the tubes 16 by their respective arms 12, and, obviously, during such passage the unsinged stockings upon said forms will be subjected to the action of the singeing flames, thereby carbonizing the loose fibers in the manner well understood by those skilled in the art.

It has been previously indicated that the present invention contemplates the provision of a novel form of stripping mechanism, whereby to remove the singed stockings from the forms after the latter leave the singeing burners, and to operate this stripping mechanism at a greater surface speed than the speed at which the supporting forms travel. To the accomplishment of this end a sleeve 1'7 is mounted to rotate on the main shaft 3, and said sleex e carries a gear wheel 18 which meshes with a similar gear 19 mounted upon the inner end of the driving shaft 6, the gear 19 being of slightly greater diameter than the gear 18 for imparting to the latter greater speed. Also mounted upon the sleeve 17 is a sprocket gear 20 of comparatively large diameter, a sprocket chain 21 being mounted to pass around said gear 20. The chain 21 is also designed to work upon an upper sprocket pinion 22 carried by a shaft 23 which is journaled upon the superstructure 15, and also upon a lower sprocket pinion 2st carried by a shaft 25, the latter being journaled upon the frame 1. Spanning the space between the pinions 22 and 24: is a curved channel guide 26, which guide is concentric with the stocking supports 13, but spaced slightly in wardl 1 therefrom this uide bein mounted upon supporting bars 27 and 28 arranged transversely of the superstructure 15 and the frame 1, and supporting the upper and lower ends of the guide 26 in proximity to the sprocket pinions 22 and 24:. These pinions are arranged at the inner ends of the shafts and 25, and occupy positions at substantially the middle portions of the stocking supports 13, and each of the latter is provided with an elongated slot 29 that extends longitudinally thereof, each of which slots is designed to receive a stripping finger 30 carried by the sprocket chain 21. This finger is of such length that when introduced to the slots 29 it will project therethrough, and said supports 13 are of such length, and likewise the slots 29, that when the finger 30 enters the slots the point of entrance will be in rear of the open end of the stocking as stretched upon the forms, so that the finger 30 will engage the open ends of the stockings and during its travel along theslots the finger 30 will force the stockings off the forms. Inasmuch as the stripping finger 30 moves in the same direction as the direction of movement of the supports 13, it is requisite that said finger shall travel at a greater surface speed than the speed of the supports 13 in order to remove the singed stockings from the supports, and through the medium of the varying diameters of the sprocket gear 20 and the sprocket pinions 22 and 2a, this increase in surface speed is effected. It is obvious that if desired the chain 21 may be equipped with a series of the stripping fingers 30.

By the employment of the channel guide 26 it is also evident that as the sprocket chain 21 passes therethrough the stripping finger 30 will be held close up to the respective forms and maintained in rear of the open end of the stocking in order to effect a positive removal of the stocking from the form upon which it is carried.

In the singeing of stockings in the green state, it is desirable that the temperature of the forms or supports shall be maintained relatively low, in order to prevent injury to the fabric of the stockings. By referring to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, the means employed for adapting the machine for use under these conditions is illustrated, and the same contemplates providing the ends of the main shaft 3 with bores 31 and 32 separated from each other by a central partition 33. The bores 31 and 32 are closed by stuffing boxes 34 and 35, respectively, through which boxes are projected a feed pipe 36 and a drip pipe 37, respectively, and through these pipes 36 and 37 a suitable cooling medium, such as water, is admit-ted to and removed from the shaft 3, this medium, however, before passing out from the shaft 3 into the drip pipe 37 being caused to circulate through the respective stocking supports. That this may be accomplished the bore 31 is connected by a pipe 38 with an annular supply pipe 39, which latter pipe is tapped at suitable intervals by an inlet pipe 10 which is projected into the support 13 immediately contiguous thereto. Each support is provided with one of the pipes 40 in order to be supplied with the cooling medium, and each. support is likewise provided with an outlet pipe 11 which, in turn, is connected to an annular pipe 4-2. The latter collects the cooling agent as it leaves the supports 13, and is connected by a pipe 13 with the bore 32 so that the drip collected by pipe 42 is discharged into said bore, whence it leaves the shaft 3 by the drip pipe 37.

The stocking support 13 is hollow, as clearly illustrated in Big. 7, and in order that the stripping finger 30 may cooperate therewith for removing the singed stocking therefrom, but at the same time to retain the cooling agent within the support and circulate it properly therein, the support 13 is provided with a longitudinally-extending depression tt for receiving the stripping finger30. Therefore, when the finger is intro duced into the depression 44, it is obvious that a suiiicient portion of its length will be projected in rear of the open end of the stocking to strip the latter from the support as the stripping finger moves forwardly thereon. It will also be observed that the depression at divides the support 13, and the inner ends of the pipes 40 and L1 e:-;- tend within the support at the sides of the depression, so that as the cooling agent is projected by the pipe tO within the support the cooling agent passes forwardly along one side thereof; thence around the forward end of the support, and back to the pipe all by way of the channel at the other side of the depression. This insures a complete circulation of the cooling agentand maintains the supports 13 at a sufiiciently low temperature to preclude damage or injury to the stockings incident to the presence of chemicals which are necessarily present while the stockings are in the green state.

If desired, the supports 13, in lieu of being provided with the elongated slots 29, as illustrated in 1, 2 and 3, may be constructed as disclosed in Figs. 6 and 7, that is to say, they may be provided with a groove or depression, without necessarily employing a cooling agent. The employment of the cooling agent is merely to adapt the machine for the singeing of stockings when the latter are in the green state, thus adapting the machine for this special use, as well as for use under the general conditions that prevail in the singeing of stockings when it is unnecessary to employ a cooling agent for the forms.

In the operation of the herein described machine the supports 13 are caused to move in the direction of the feathered arrow illustrated in Fig. 1. ltn such movement the free ends of the supports move upwardly at he side of the machine which is opposite to the side whereat the channel guide is positioned, the free ends moving downwardly over the guide 26. The operator takes position at the side where the free ends of the forms move in an upward direction, and as the latter rise they become positioned in relation to the operator substantially the same as the position in which the board forms heretofore commonly employed are positioned when pacing the stockings thereon. in this position of the supports 13 the operator may stretch each stocking thereon with much the same movement has previously been the case in placing the stockings upon the board forms. That is to say, the operator opens the mouth of the stocking in order to introduce the free end of the support 13 therein, and with a movement of the stocking toward him, and the advancing movement of the support 13 away from him, it will be seen that the stocking is readily stretched. upon the support in an expeditious manner, thereby enabling the supports 13 to rotate at a comparatively high rate of speed. As each support 13 recedes from the operator, it is apparent that the full length of the stockings will be stretched thereon, being entirely freed of wrinkles, whereupon the support carrying the stocking enters the space between the singeing burners 16. At this point the loose fibers of the stockings become carbonized, and as the supports continue to ad- Vance they are each projected over the channel guide 26. The chain 21 is so timed in its movement that the stripper linger 30 will enter the slots 29 of the supports when a suitable portion of the length of the sup ports has passed over the channel guide '26 to permit the finger 3U engaging the mouth of the stocking when said finger enters the slots. t being borne in mind that the chain 21 is operating at a greater surface speed than that of the supports 13, when the finger 30 engages the stockings the latter are pushed forwardly, and as the finger continues to advance the entire length of the stockings becomes displaced from the supports, and the stockings thereby successively fall from the machine in a con'ipletely singed state. After being thus freed of the singed stockings, the supports 13 continue around to the point where the operator is located, at which point they again receive unsinged stockings, and this cycle of operations is continued indefinitely.

.Vhen the machine is equipped with the cooling mechanism illustrated in Figs. a to 7, the supports will be maintained at a relatively low temperature by the circulation of the cooling medium through the bore 31, the intermediate connecting pipes, the support, the pipes connecting the latter with the bore 32, and the bore 32, the cooling medium being removed by the drip pipe 37.

During the movement of the chain 21 the same passes through the channel guide 26, and by reason of the curvature of the latter, as well as its position, the stripper finger 3 is held within the slots of the supports 13 until said finger has advanced beyond the ends of said slots, and thereby completely removed the stockings from the supports, and it does not leave the channel guide 26 until it arrives at the sprocket pinion 24.

It will be observed that the spider 11 and the arms 12 constitute a carrier for the supports 13, and by reason of the latter being curved the same are deflected in relation to the arms 12, this deflection positioning the supports 13, as they arrive adjacent to the operator of the machine, in substantially the position in which the board forms, as pre viously used, have been held when stretching the stockings thereon. Furthermore, the chain 21 constitutes an endless carrier for the stripping finger, thus establishing a fixed path of movement for said finger as it advances to, acts upon, and recedes from the respective supports.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a singeing machine, singeing means, an elongated support for the articles to be singed mounted for rotation in a circular path, the longitudinal axis of said support extending in the direction of movement of said support, and means for actuating said support.

2. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a carrier, means for rotating said carrier in a circular path, and an elongated support associated with said carrier and rigidly connected thereto at one of its ends, the other end of said support being free to receive the articles to be singed, the longitudinal axis of said support extending in the direction of movement of said support.

3. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a rotating carrier, a curved support for the articles to be singed arranged upon said carrier and disposed concentrically to the axis of said carrier, and means for rotating said carrier.

a. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a rotating carrier, a curved support for the articles to be singed associated with said carrier and rigidly connected thereto at one of its ends, the other end of said support being free to receive the articles to be singed, said support being disposed concentrically to the axis of said carrier, and means for rotating said carrier.

5. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, stripping mechanism cooperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, and means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping mechanism at a different surface speed.

6. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, stripping mechanism cooperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, and means for actuating said support and said stripping mechanism in the same direction but at different surface speeds.

7. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed mounted for rotation in a circular path, stripping mechanism cooperating with said support at a point in the path of its rotation to remove the singed articles therefrom, and means for actuating said support and said stripping mechanism at different surface speeds.

8. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed mounted for rotation in a circular path, stripping mechanism coeperating with said support at a point in the path of its rotation to remove the singed articles therefrom, and means for actuating said support and said stripping mechanism in the same direction but at different surface speeds.

9. In a. singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, a movable stripping finger cooperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, and means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping fin er at a different surface speed.

10. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a. support for the articles to be singed, a movable stripping finger coeperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping finper at a different surface speed, and means for holding the stripping finger in operative relation to said support during the stripping action.

11. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, a stripping finger cooperating with said sup port to remove the singed articles therefrom, means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping finger at a different surface speed, and a guide in which said finger travels while in proximity to said support for holding the stripping finger in operative relation to said support during the stripping action.

12. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, stripping mechanism cooperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, said support having provision for permitting the stripping mechanism to enter the support to engage the singed articles, and means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping mech anism.

13. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, a stripping finger cooperating with said support to remove thesinged articles therefrom, said support having a longitudinally-extending opening for receiving said stripping finger to permit the latter to engage the singed articles, and means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping finger.

14:. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, a stripping finger cooperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, said support having a longitudinally-extending opening for receiving said stripping finger to permit the latter to engage the singed articles, means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping finger, and a guide in which said finger travels while in proximity to said support for holding the stripping finger in operative relation to said support during the stripping action.

15. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, a stripping finger cooperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, means for causing relative movement between said support and said stripping finger, and a channel guide in which said finger travels while in proximity to said support for holding the stripping finger in operative relation to said support during the stripping action.

16. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a support for the articles to be singed, a stripping finger cooperating with said support to remove the singed articles therefrom, means for actuating said support, an endless carrier upon which said stripping finger is mounted, means for actuating said endless carrier at a surface speed different from that of said support, and means for holding said carrier in proper relation to said support to permit said stripping action.

17. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a deflected hollow support for the articles to be singed, means for causing relative move ment between said support and said singeing means, and means for circulating a cooling medium through said hollow support.

18. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a deflected hollow support for the articles to be singed, means for causing relative movement between said support and said singeing means, a shaft upon which said support is mounted, whereby to permit said relative movement, said shaft having provision for feeding the cooling agent to said support and discharging it therefrom, and connec tions between said support and said shaft.

19. In a singeing machine, singeing means, a deflected hollow support for the articles to be singed, a shaft upon which said support is mounted, said shaft having bores for receiving and discharging a cooling agent to and from said shaft, connections between said bores and said support for circulating the cooling agent through said support, and means for actuating said shaft to move the support in relation to the singeing means.

In testimony whereof we affiX our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS ALLSOP. WALTER N. SIBSON. WALTER F. HAGAR, J R. Witnesses:

RALPH M. ERWIN, HENRY P HARPER. 

